


Caleb is Canon

by FrankiValerie



Series: Caleb is Canon [1]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/M, ME2, OC, otp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 03:52:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11140512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrankiValerie/pseuds/FrankiValerie
Summary: Beginning of a new #Jaleb mini series.  A little #AU because this doesn't fit with After Omega where Caleb and Jack had little to no contact during the events of Mass Effect 2 or 3 and obviously Caleb isn't in the games BUT DAMMIT HE SHOULD BE!!!





	Caleb is Canon

****Jack looked up when she heard the boots on the stairs and eyed John Shepard.

“Hey” was her usual greeting, then she looked back to the data pad before her, pouring through the Cerberus files; he’d given her access - as he’d promised.  

“Jack. I need you planetside with me on this next pick up. I hear he’s a friend of yours.”  

She shook her head, eyes still on the datapad, “I don’t have friends, Shepard. People around me don’t survive long enough…”  

“Really?” Shepard shifted his weight and folded his arms across this chest, “So the name ‘Caleb Ortez’ doesn't mean anything to you?”  

That made her look up.  She even smiled, “..We’re picking up Ortez?” 

Shepard smiled too -- he couldn’t help it, this was the first genuinely happy smile he’d seen from Jack, “Cerberus has made a deal with him. He seems… keen to see you again.” 

Jack snorted a laugh and put down the data pad, “I’ll bet. Probably hasn’t had a decent fuck since I went to cryo…” 

Shepard frowned now, shifting uncomfortably at the unexpected overshare.  

“... I need to know what you know about this guy.  The cerberus dossiers are… vague.”  

Jack stood now and moved further into the darkness of the subdeck, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against a metal support.  

“... A lot of his shit isn’t for me to tell. All you really gotta know is Ortez is a damn good fighter… and yeah, I guess he’s my friend. Only one left alive.  We’ve run a lot of jobs together over the years, he’s never screwed me over.. Not like the other assholes.”  

Shepard crossed his arms too, his voice firmer, “You’re not telling me the full story here, Jack.”  

She looked to him now, frowning, “It’s not for me to tell. You can ask him more when we pick him up.”

* * *

Shepard had chosen, to Jack’s frustration, to bring Miranda Lawson as a third for the pick up.  She knew the Cerberus deal with "Mr Ortez" and could act as a Cerberus spokeswoman. Jack needed to be with them as part of the deal - the fact Shepard wanted her there anyway was coincidence.  

The shuttle ride had been a headache for him, as Miranda and Jack had bickered and bitched none stop.  The tension between them alone was enough to cause him stress. Jack at least was in higher spirits than the last time the 3 had been together, and tormented Miranda gleefully, no threats this time, just comments and quips to make her squirm.  Eventually Shepard had to tell them to shut up and play nice before one of them went too far and started a fight.  

Illium, like Omega and indeed most of the big terminus ports, always looked the same.  Dark, lit up in neon blues, greens, purples, whites, skycars passing by overhead… it always had the same smell.  

Jack was first to step off the shuttle and even thought about running off to find Caleb to escape from Shepard and Cerberus… she knew Miranda wouldn’t hesitate in shooting her in the back at her first opportunity. So she held back and looked to Shepard. He was watching her closely with a furrowed brow, only breaking their gaze to look around the docks, “Alright, where is he?”  

Jack looked around again, scanning faces. She saw Caleb as he broke through the crowd toward her. He smiled when their eyes met, so did Jack, but she tensed, forced her smile back and jerked her head to Shepard and Miranda. Caleb’s eyes flicked to them and she saw him tense too.  

Shepard saw him approaching and took him in. Average height, dark hair and eyes, angry scar on his face, canvas bag slung over his back which he adjusted as he got to Jack. He paused by her, looking her over again.  His eyes lingered on the straps over her chest and he smirked. Jack mirrored him.  

He looked back to her face, “you okay, J?” There was concern in his voice but only Jack knew him enough to pick up on the subtle tone change. She nodded curtly, resisting her urge to pounce on him and playfully punched his shoulder instead, lowering her voice, “Can’t believe you’re here…”  

Shepard stepped forward now, Miranda at his heels.  He extended a hand for Caleb to shake, “Mr Ortez. I’m Commander Shepard.” he shook Caleb’s hand firmly, then gestured to Miranda, “this is my XO, Miranda Lawson.”  

Caleb eyed him as he shook his hand, and only then noticed Miranda, eyes meeting hers with a smirk, “We’ve met.”


End file.
